UV inks are a successful example in the printing ink industry, ranging from the basic technologies developed in response to environmental laws to the selection of high technologies for high productivity and performance in printers.
Today, the UV ink industry is one of the areas of growth in the entire ink industry, driven by the development of new applications in the inherent field by printers and factors such as UV ink jets and hybrid inks. And UV inks will continue to grow in the coming year.
2003 Review
In fact, although the economy has indeed impacted market growth, the UV ink market has developed better than any other area of ​​the ink industry.
Ed Dedman, SICPA North American Market Development, said, “The UV ink market continues to grow, but at a more gradual and steady pace. From 5 to 10 years ago, all 'experts' stated that UV inks will grow at a double-digit speed and dominate the market. Although this is not the case, UV inks are still developing every year."
“We see more and more printers buying printers equipped with UV curing capabilities. Although the growth of UV inks is somewhat slow, it is still growing,†said Gienn Webster, Sun Chemica’s UV liquid ink market manager. In an economic environment, once the economy recovers, the rate of growth will accelerate."
Webster added that most of the UV printing has grown in narrow (up to 15") and medium (16 to 30") markets.
Kolorcure president Brian Templeman said, “Despite the weak economic situation, the UV ink market continues to grow. The biggest increase is in lithography and flexo printing. In the past few years, the packaging industry has been very strong. Printers have been seeking to improve quality. And efficiency, UV inks can solve many of these problems."
Dr. Don P. Duncan, Director of R&D at Wikoff Color Corporation, said, “Over the past year, the total sales of UV inks and coatings have been close to flat, but there has certainly been no decline.â€
HaI Clifton, INX International Ink's domestic sales manager for narrow-format printing inks, points out that labels, trademarks, folding cartons and advertising markets are the markets where UV inks have the highest growth opportunities.
"The use of UV inks in certain market segments may also increase," said Tony Bean, Sun Chemical's marketing manager for UV inks. The areas in which UV inks use may grow most are the wide flexo of non-food flexible packaging, and plain films. Plastics, folding cartons and preformed plastic containers. The application of mixed inks is also continuing to grow.â€
Mixed ink
Mixed inks have come a long way since they were introduced a few years ago. For example, Bean describes people's interest in mixed inks as "very significant," pointing out that at the recent Graph Expo 2003 there were thousands of queries on mixed inks.
John Priesmeyer, product manager for UV inks at Flint lnk, said, “The mixed ink has become an important part of the entire UV ink market and people are very interested in it. This is because the mixed ink is more 'printer friendly' and does not require special ink rollers. , blankets and processes have also led to a general interest in UV technology."
According to Gale Waller, product manager for UV offset at INX International Ink, “People’s growing concern about mixed inks is mainly due to the revamping of existing conventional presses with UV lamps.†He estimated that the mixed ink market will grow at an annual rate of about 8~ 10%. “This gives the printing press a great deal of flexibility, especially when the printer only wants to print part of the task. No special blankets, rollers, plates, cleaning or drying processes are needed. Also due to the hybrid printing In-line coating greatly reduces the cost. With the mixed ink, it is no longer necessary to apply under-line coating or to send the task out or through the printing machine again, thereby reducing the delivery time."
The growth of UV inks
In addition to sheet-fed hybrid inks, Duncan believes that UV inks will also have the greatest growth in the inkjet and flexographic markets. UV inkjet is a rapidly growing small market. In addition to UV hybrid inks and UV ink jets, the UV flexo market has tremendous potential for growth. Achieving some of this potential means installing fully UV-compatible medium-format presses, but last year there were not many new presses installed. As printers are increasingly willing to add or upgrade their presses, UV flexo inks will be the big winner. In addition, the printing of UV flexographic inks on UV screen solids and transparent plastics in label applications is also an area of ​​growth.
Dedman said, “I estimate that the flexo printing market will continue to grow steadily, especially in narrow and medium format printing applications. In addition, I have noticed an increase in the use of UV inks in the digital printing market because this technology has become increasingly The more common."
Perhaps the most attractive area is UV inkjet, which is mainly used for wide-format printing. Some ink manufacturers are developing inks for printing applications such as billboards or other outdoor signage.
SunJet is a division of Sun Chemical, and recently its Crystal line introduced two pigmented UV inkjet systems. JohnLaw, general manager of the company, points out that "ultraviolet digital printing is becoming more and more powerful." These inks are designed for use on hard and flexible media. Designed with a large print display, it has high flexibility, film hardness and scratch resistance as well as proven inkjet reliability.
Priesmeyer said, "UV inkjet is a small and specialized market, and its overall potential will be unknown for many years." Templeman said, "Digital printing has huge potential in printing and industrial applications. We are experimenting. There is a research and development project in the room, but print heads and equipment manufacturers have caused difficulties for smaller-scale independent ink manufacturers like us to bring products to market."
Priesmeyer believes that the value of UV inks will drive its development in new areas. “Printers are looking for opportunities in new markets to compensate for the loss of traditional printing operations. This action will focus on general commercial printing and special-purpose printing as well as the sheet-fed printing market of screen printers seeking to avoid the creation of VOCs. In the newspaper market, UV flexo printing and UV offset printing will continue to be profitable because printers are always looking for ways to increase productivity and help package buyers fire their brands."
Improve performance
The instant curing ability of UV inks gives printers great advantages in productivity, and people are still seeking greater gains in productivity. Priesmeyer pointed out that printers are most interested in productivity and durability. “The increase in productivity and efficiency, or the need for additional performance that is not readily achievable by other processes, is the reason why people use higher-cost UV inks. For example, the need for instant drying for sheet-fed applications, and other uses for lasers. Printability, wear resistance and chemical resistance requirements."
Waller believes that printing/curing on synthetic materials is a great potential for UV inks. “Printers are looking for more ways to highlight their own characteristics in competition, such as the need for more and high-quality surface finishes. At the same time, they are also pursuing higher productivity and lower costs.†Bean pointed out that using UV inks The printers are looking for higher-quality printing at the same level as traditional printing or at a higher level of productivity. “The goal of the past has always been to produce UV products with properties that are more like those of traditional inks and coatings. Improvements in the formulation process and curing technology have greatly reduced the above goals. Both have the same on-line performance and use of energy-curable inks. The printing effect is even more outstanding."
Duncan points out that fast curing, high gloss, abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance are the key properties of UV products all the time, and UV inks also help reduce inventory. “There is a phenomenon of low online working inventory. Fast curing allows printers to quickly print, stack and transport without having to worry about ink drying. This 'offline ready' performance of UV ink coatings means There is no need to invest space and money waiting for the ink to dry.â€
The future of UV ink
Priesmeyer said, “The general trend of the past 15 years is that the average annual growth rate of UV products is 10%. With the continuous advancement of UV technology, product improvement and the introduction of new raw materials, combined with lower costs and higher productivity in the printing industry, UV curing inks The market with coatings will undoubtedly maintain steady growth in the next few years."
Of course, ink manufacturers are also working to break down barriers to further growth: whether it is the cost of ink coatings or even new printing presses, or threats such as electron beam curing or inkjet technology.
Priesmeyer said, "The cost of UV-curable ink coatings is still higher than other products. In addition, the performance of UV ink printers is still in line with the equipment performance of the oil system. We must continue to work hard to improve press performance, cost and safety, This will allow the UV technology market to maintain similar growth rates as in the past."
Dedman said, “Aqueous flexo inks perform well and at a lower cost, and with the increasing use of digital printing in traditional markets, UV inks will have to continue to work harder than these products to maintain their growth.â€
Duncan said, “With today’s economy still not fully improved, converting existing presses and buying new presses will continue to be a cost issue for printers. As an industry, the printing industry has received more than others in the past few years. The industry's greater impact. In fact, printers have suffered a deep, not just sluggish situation. Unless this situation improves, the capital investment will be slightly slower than in previous years."
Both Webster and Bean believe that UV inks will be under pressure to improve performance and productivity. Electron beam curing may also have an impact on UV curing. Due to the reduction in the capital cost and magnitude of curing units, electron beam curing is more attractive to printers who are using and considering the use of UV inks.
"Ultraviolet technology is a low-VOC, environmentally friendly technology that produces superb print products that are close to the ideal situation of 'good effect/low investment'. "Overall, the advantages of UV inks will be in the future. Mid-year promotes the growth of the market.